


Void Given Focus

by Magn0liablossoms



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: (except for those who were already dead lol), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Fix-It of Sorts, Found Family, Multi, Other, POV Alternating, Post-Embrace the Void Ending (Hollow Knight), The Knight is Called Ghost (Hollow Knight), The Knight is The Shade Lord (Hollow Knight), They/Them Pronouns for The Vessels (Hollow Knight), Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29386680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magn0liablossoms/pseuds/Magn0liablossoms
Summary: A fic that takes place directly after the Embrace the Void ending, where everyone who was alive at the start of the game is alive now(No real update schedule, but I usually post a chapter every week)
Relationships: Cornifer/Iselda (Hollow Knight), Hornet & Quirrel (Hollow Knight), Quirrel & Tiso (Hollow Knight), The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & Hornet & The Knight, The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & Iselda (Hollow Knight), The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & The Knight, The Knight & Quirrel (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 68
Kudos: 103





	1. Hornet

**Author's Note:**

> _  
> Indention- writing.  
>   
>  "Indention in quotes"- signing.   
> _  
> **Bold- telepathy.**  
>  _  
>  _

If you had told Hornet a few weeks ago that she would be standing outside of the Black Egg for a week straight, she would have scoffed and walked away. After seeing what they could do, her faith in the little ghost was fairly large. The vessel had bested every leader in Hallownest (that was alive) and had beaten her  _ twice.  _ To say that she was confident in their abilities would be an understatement. However, her faith in their determination to actually  _ finish _ what they started was starting to waver.

A week ago, the little ghost had stopped by the temple. She'd been waiting for them for a little bit, but not too long. They'd killed all three dreamers, conquered their past, reopened all of the stag stations, and had pretty much everything they  _ could  _ have. They were a far cry from the fumbling creature she met in Greenpath. Hornet was almost certain that they were ready to face the Hollow Knight. Surprisingly, they said (well, wrote) that they had more they had to do, and asked her to wait. She decided to acquiesce at the time because how much more could there be in these ruins? 

A lot, apparently. 

There were a few times that she ventured a little from her post, to find food and whatnot, and she'd never spotted them even once. At one point, on the third day, she'd gone to visit her mother's deathbed, as it had become something of a ritual. She made it all the way to and from Deepnest and didn't see any signs of them anywhere. 

Hornet is not ashamed to admit that she'd followed the vessel through most of their journey. She knows how they travel. Stealth isn't really their forte. The little ghost had a tendency to use loud spells, loud movement, loud fighting. Everywhere they went they left a trail of infection-filled corpses in their wake. So this sudden disappearance is, honestly, a little disconcerting. 

But, Hornet knows how to be patient. She protected this dead kingdom for wyrm knows how long, and she isn't stopping now.

Honestly, she sort of expected this. She's not so naïve as to trust some random traveler. But... she had hope. She had let herself believe that Hallownest could actually be freed from this plague, after however many years. 

Hornet concluded that if the little ghost wasn't back by tomorrow, she'd go find them and drag them back herself. With her ultimatum set, she sat down and dozed off. 

Now, Hornet would say that she's fairly good at determining what to expect. She needed to be, it was part of her job. However, the one thing that she did  _ not  _ expect, was an earthquake waking her up in the middle of the night along with the sound of chains shattering. When she looked around, the ever-present glow of the Infection was fading. Heavy footsteps echoed in the Egg. Immediately, she hopped to her feet and got ready for some sort of attack. 

The  _ second  _ thing she did not expect was the Hollow Knight to come limping out of the Egg, using its- their- nail as a walking cane. Hornet held her defensive stance, head spinning. It was only when the Hollow Knight collapsed on the ground that she allowed herself to go to her sibling. Some of her earliest memories were of her hanging off of their horns, training with them, drawing with them. 

She didn't realize how much she missed them.

Hollow- yes, that's what she'd called them- seemed to be alive, but just barely. There was a hot spring nearby- she had to be fast though. She tapped on their shoulder. 

"Hollow? Can you stand?" Hornet stood with her arms out, ready to support them. Hollow stood with their nail instead, their missing arm only adding to the difficulty. They stumbled a little, but when they leaned on the wall they were fairly stable. The thought occurred that the journey will be easier without the infected bugs.

Hornet paused. Without the… 

"Hollow, do you know what happened to the infection?" Hollow shifted their weight onto the wall to have a free hand and wobbled it.

"Kind of?" Hollow thought for a moment and nodded. 

"Is… it gone?" A nod. Hornet felt nothing for a moment, processing. It's… gone. It's gone! She laughed incredulously. The little ghost did it! How? They couldn't have gotten rid of it without coming back to the Egg, or could they? Hornet shook her head, now's not the time. Placing a steadying hand on Hollow's back, she led them forward. 

"Let's get you to the hot spring. We can talk more there." And they were off.

The walk was a lot farther than Hornet remembered it being, but she and Hollow were finally there. Hollow all but collapsed in the spring while Hornet rested on the bench. Immediately, the soul in the springs started healing the many wounds Hollow had sustained. It was less of a reversal of the effects, Hornet noticed, and more of just speeding up the healing process. The nasty scarring on the missing arm started to look more like just a scar, rather than a god-inflicted burn that Hornet can only  _ imagine  _ the pain of. At least Hollow looked relieved. 

"Can you tell me what happened to the infection?" Hollow tilted their head, nodded, then mimed writing. They crawled to the edge of the spring, grabbing a pebble. With some effort, they started writing. The words were barely legible, but that was to be expected from someone who lost their dominant hand.

_ The Radiance. She was defeated by-  _ their words halted, and they looked puzzled. Then, they doodled a little caricature to the side of their message. 

"That’s- that's the little ghost!" Hollow nodded and wrote  _ Ghost  _ under the drawing. 

_ She was defeated by Ghost, but they were… big. Shadowy. "Lord of Shades" comes to mind. I didn't see them, really, but I felt them. The shift.  _ They paused, and drew… something next to the little ghost, then drew an arrow with the word  _ Same  _ written over it. The thing had eight eyes, winding horns, four arms, and no discernable legs. That… was Ghost? No, it couldn't be… 

"Are they alive?" 

Hollow thought for a moment, then shrugged. 

"How did you know what they looked like if you didn't see them?"

_ I don't know, it was like  _ ~~_entoo_ _intoui_ _intuish_~~

"Intuition?" They nodded. Hornet giggled. "You know, I'd expect more from someone tutored by the best minds in the kingdom." Somehow, Hollow managed to glare at her, before splashing her with some water from the spring. As she was sputtering, they perked up, and excitedly wrote in the sand.

_ King? _

Oh, right. Hornet's stomach sank. They wouldn't remember the day that the Pale King abandoned his kingdom. They wouldn't remember the day the Pale King left his kingdom to die, and left her to take care of it.

"The Wyrm is gone."

_ Where? _

"I don't know." Hollow visibly deflated, and sank back into the spring. Hornet felt bad, but they had to learn eventually. 

After a few hours of rest and a small nap, Hornet believed that they were ready to leave. The town on the surface, Dirtmouth, had become much more lively since the little ghost made an appearance. Not only had the original residents returned, but new ones have moved in, including herself. It was a charming place, and there was an advantage in having a home base. So she led Hollow to the surface (with a little bit of trouble climbing up the chain). They seemed very taken with the town, like they'd never seen anything like it. In all likelihood, they probably hadn't. 

Elderbug was in the square as usual, though he was twirling a white flower in his fingers. As Hornet approached, he looked up at her. Then his gaze kept moving up.

"Goodness me! That- is that who I think it is?" He looked up at Hollow in awe, looking completely flabbergasted. "It has to be! The Hollow Knight! Oh, you're so much more impressive in person! Aren't you just brilliant?" Hollow looked down, seeming embarrassed, or maybe just overwhelmed. Though, the commotion drew attention, and the rest of the town slowly made their way out into the square. Everyone else had similar reactions. Cornifer and Iselda were almost cooing at them, Sly was stunned silent, Bretta was just about squealing, Tiso was saying something about true warriors, Myla was jumping up and down, but there was one reaction that was different. 

Quirrel stepped into the square with a look of horror on his face. He made his way to the front of the crowd.

"I am… so sorry. I didn't think- I didn't think you were still alive. I'm so sorry that I didn't- that I didn't try to stop it." Quirrel took their hand between his, examining it, noting the scarring. Hornet remembered feeling a similar horror upon seeing them. But this wasn't the time, nor the place. She cleared her throat. 

"Yes, this is the Hollow Knight. Please, treat them like anyone else. They're very tired." Quirrel nodded and stepped back. "I'm going to take them back to my house. Thank you for your concern." Hollow let their shoulders slump, and Hornet led them out of the square. 

Her house wasn't very impressive, but it was one of the taller ones in town. Even so, Hollow had to duck to get in the door and had to slouch so their horns wouldn't scrape the ceiling. There was a guest room, and Hornet gave Hollow some blankets and pillows, and let them fashion their own nest to take a nap. They seemed very content with that, so Hornet left them to their own devices and went back into town. 

She remembered when the little ghost returned to Dirtmouth with Quirrel. Both of them had a weird mood surrounding them, somber but excited. They'd dropped him off at Tiso's house, and apparently, this was fine, because Tiso just led him in and Ghost turned and left. Quirrel was one of the few people who actually  _ remembered  _ the time before the kingdom fell to ruin, who knew it when it was still alive. Well, partially remembered, but the feeling of solidarity was there nonetheless. 

That's what led her to knock on his door this evening. Tiso answered.

"Hm? What are you doing here?" He tilted his head.

"I came to talk to Quirrel."

"Ah, one second." Tiso closed the door and yelled for Quirrel to "get his ass over here, he has a visitor," and soon Quirrel was standing in front of her.

"What brings you here, Hornet?" He stepped outside, closing and leaning on the door. 

"I… wanted to ask about the little ghost." Quirrel perked up.

"Ghost? What about them? Have you seen them?"

"That’s what I was going to ask you. When was the last time you saw them?" 

"Ah. Hmm. It was a couple of days ago, I believe. They’d told me that they were going to try something, and that they might not come back. It scared the shell off of me, but they asked me not to worry, and they just ran off. They used one of those dream gate things and disappeared. I haven't seen them since."

"So they came to you, but not me."

"To be fair, you did try to kill them. Twice. And from what they told me, you  _ succeeded  _ in killing them quite a few times." Quirrel said that last sentence with a little irritation and Hornet looked down. 

"It was necessary, I promise." 

"Mhm. Right. But that’s all I've seen of them, and I don't think they made any other stops before doing whatever they did. Also, with the Hollow Knight-"

"Just Hollow."

"Right. With Hollow awake, what happened to the infection?"

"It's gone." Quirrel stared at her like she'd grown another set of horns.

"Ah… what?"

"The little ghost- er, Ghost- did  _ something,  _ and the infection just kind of… disappeared."

"How?"

"No clue."

"When?"

"Yesterday." Hornet watched the shock on Quirrel's face turn into pure joy. 

"Oh, gods above! They really did it!" As he laughed incredulously, Hornet chuckled. 

"I had the same reaction."

"And how's Hollow…?"

"They're okay, most of their wounds were healed by the springs. They used to look a lot worse,"

" _ Worse?  _ Oh, poor thing…"

"I know, but they're alright, they're recovering. I… I don't know how they felt about it, but I really appreciated your apology earlier."

"Hornet, I doubt there's anything I can do to make it up to them, I  _ knew  _ that it wouldn't work, but I turned a blind eye because they were our only hope. I'm sorry to you, too, Hornet. I'm sorry that they took away your sibling." She felt tears pricking at her eyes, but willed them away. She remembered how upset she was when Hollow was stolen from her, it felt like there was a hole in her side. 

"I appreciate it, Quirrel. Thank you." 

"Anytime, friend."

"There isn't anything else I wanted, I was going to Crossroads to hunt, can I bring anything back?"

"If you could find some edible vegetation, it would be much appreciated. My species are mostly herbivores, and Tiso doesn't have much in the way of plants."

"Understood, I'll be back." 

Hornet made her way to the square, waving to Elderbug who was still enamored with his flower. She was about to make the drop down the well, but she noticed a figure climbing up. It hopped out of the well, and Hornet could hardly believe her eyes.

"Ghost?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiso and quirrel are roommates bc i thought it would be fun


	2. Hollow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hollow processes some things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some tired, introverted, snarky teenager Hollow for the soul

Hollow was confused. A lot has happened in the past few days. First, they were just hanging, chained, in the Egg with the searing pain that came with containing the Radiance. That had been their normal for four hundred and forty-two years, five months, two weeks, four days, three hours, sixteen minutes, and seven seconds. Sometimes, counting the seconds was the only thing that kept them somewhat sane, and converting seconds into shorter units is easier than saying that they'd been in there for 13,954,707,367 seconds.

Second, they had a dream. Usually, when they had a dream, it was white-hot and filled with wings and bright swords. This one was different, though. They still had their arm, for one, it wasn’t rotted off by the sickly sweet infection that coursed through them. That was another thing- they were free of the Radiance’s influence. It was like they’d been transported to before their imprisonment. But in this dream, they were made to fight a little vessel- one they now know is called Ghost- and for the first couple of times, they’d beaten them. But Ghost kept coming back, and eventually, Hollow fell to their nail. 

The next thing they knew, the Radiance had blinked out of existence, their chains broke, and they felt some kind of… unity? It felt like their void was stable. They didn’t even think it  _ was _ unstable until it  _ wasn’t- _ they thought that was just how it was- but it felt weird. Flashes of darkness with glowing eyes and twisting horns filled their head. 

Once they could think straight, they lifted themselves on their nail. Their legs were weak from underuse, and it was hard to balance with one arm. Most of all, they  _ hurt.  _ Everything was sore, but they had to move. When they made it out of the Egg, they saw the Gendered Child- Hornet. She’d looked almost scared, but she still helped them. They knew that they were supposed to be empty, and they tried so hard to be, but even they had to admit that they missed their sister.

After a trip to the springs and an overwhelming moment in the square, they were lounging in a nest made of soft blankets and smooth silks that Hornet gave them. Hollow was grateful for the people in the town, Dirtmouth, was it? They were grateful for their (mostly) positive reactions, but after being alone for about 443 years, it was a little much. Well, they weren’t exactly  _ alone,  _ but they weren’t quite on speaking terms with the Radiance. 

Their nest was  _ extremely  _ cozy, and it felt like they were laying on clouds. But not the heavy, endless white clouds that coated the bottom of their dreams. These clouds were soft and fluffy, like the gray clouds in the sky here in Dirtmouth. 

Hollow had, apparently, dozed off, because they were awoken by loud voices coming from the square. It seemed to be celebratory, and it was way louder than the town had been upon their arrival. Hollow ignored the relief of not being the most interesting thing around that was mixed with some kind of childish jealousy. But on top of those stood curiosity. So, Hollow awkwardly made their way out of the house and stood a few steps away from the commotion, just to see what everyone was freaking out about. 

The thing that they did not expect- but probably should have expected- was Ghost, The Shade Lord, God of Gods, Hallownest's Savior, standing right in the middle of everything. They were small again, Hollow noted. Apparently, Ghost meant a lot to everyone- what had they missed? 

Quirrel seemed to be the most affected, trapping Ghost in a tight embrace and almost sobbing. Everyone else seemed to be submerged in varying degrees of shock and relief. Hollow really needed to learn everyone's names, the only people they knew were Hornet and Quirrel. Well, Ghost too, now. Speaking of, they seemed to have noticed them and was running over. They hopped up to eye level, bonked their horns together, and dropped back down. 

**Hello Friend!!** Hollow was shocked to hear another voice in their head. It wasn't a voice, really, it was like the words were just… there.

**What's going on?** They thought at Ghost, which was ridiculous and they couldn't believe they were doing it.

**Oh! It's because we're both Void! It's nice to have someone who's able to hear me. I'm Ghost, what's your name? I just know you as the Hollow Knight.**

That explained literally nothing. Thank you, Ghost, for the explanation. To their credit, they must be very excited to be back, so Hollow could forgive them just this once. 

**Just Hollow is fine. I've heard a lot about you. Why are you still in that tiny form?** Hollow was genuinely curious, they could change their form at will, why stay that small? 

**Being as big as I was felt wrong, so I stuck with what I'm used to. I might grow some later, but I-**

"Hollow? Ghost?" Hornet stepped up to the siblings, looking between them.

**Ahh, right, non-void beings can't hear us.** Ghost hopped to Hornet before scrawling something in the dirt. 

_ We were talking! You just couldn't hear us. _

Hornet tilted her head, then sighed. "Is this another Void thing?" Ghost nodded eagerly. "Well, could you pause for a second? Cornifer just woke up and he wants to see you." Ghost hopped up and down before dashing back into the crowd and tackle-hugging a bug, presumably Cornifer. Hollow stepped a little closer before sitting down to make their presence less imposing. They noted a bug beside them and looked down to see a beetle twiddling her claws. She was looking at them but looked away quickly. Hollow was confused, but everything was confusing right now. After a few moments of watching the reunion, they felt a tap on their arm and turned to face the beetle. 

"I'm Bretta, you're just called Hollow, right?" They nodded at her, and she seemed to be… blushing? Huh? "Nice to meet you, Hollow." 

…Well, that seemed to be the end of that interaction. They were starting to doze off again, it seems that they weren't fully recovered yet, which was annoying. Hollow stood, turning back to Hornet's house. It was as if their soft, cloudy nest was calling for them. They were all too willing to answer.

Hornet appeared beside them, looking worn out. Hollow looked at her, then to the square, and tilted their head in a silent question.

“You aren’t the only one who got barely any interaction for… four? Four hundred years?” That was pretty close, so they nodded. “Four hundred years. At least you have the excuse of being mute. I have to  _ talk  _ to people. Ghost is better at interaction than me and they can’t talk either.” Hollow’s shoulders shook, which was their rough approximation of a laugh. Hornet swatted at their arm and chuckled. “Don’t make fun of me, you’re no better!” 

The two made it to Hornet’s house without having to talk to anyone but each other. Hollow thought it was nice, having someone who was like them. Sure, Ghost might be the closest anatomically, but in personality? They were on the opposite end of the spectrum. But Hornet, Hornet understood the exhaustion that came with social interaction. They remembered that when she was younger, Hornet would drag them off to a secluded corner of the palace so she could draw with them. They would get in trouble every time, her for dragging the “pure vessel” to do something as trivial as coloring, and them for letting her drag them away from whatever they were supposed to be doing. Hornet was always involving them in her schemes, and the Pale King did  _ not  _ like that. 

The Pale King… 

The King was who they spent the most time with. He would teach them spells, history, and how to write. There were times where all they wanted was for him to stop working for a moment and do something- anything, together with them. Every time they tried to ask, they were scolded for wanting. Hollow… didn’t like being empty. They hated forcing down any emotion, never expressing want- never expressing anything. But that was what everyone wanted, so they did it anyway. 

Hollow huffed as they curled up in the cloud-nest. They didn’t have to do that anymore. The Pale King, their father, was gone. They wondered if he was dead or not. Hornet hadn’t said “dead”, but they weren’t an idiot. For as much as he put them through, Hollow couldn’t stop themself from missing the King. His light was different from the Radiance’s. They were like neighbors, close but different. Hers was burning, stinging sweet that left you blistered and rotten. His was cold, like a nail. It was sharp and quick, it would sooner cut you clean in half than rot you from the inside out. 

They were startled out of their dozing state by a knock at their door. When they looked towards it, they saw Ghost. Ghost stepped into the room, seeming exhausted. Hollow huffed a laugh.

**Looks like you** **_do_ ** **have a socializing limit after all.** Ghost flopped down next to them.

**Can I stay in here? This is really cozy.** Hollow nodded. Ah, yes, a vessel of culture. It seemed that they could both appreciate the absolute coziness of the nest. They both snuggled in their respective blankets, falling asleep almost instantly. It had been a long time (13,954,707,367 seconds, to be exact) since Hollow had felt this safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollow deserved better


	3. Quirrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> quirrel becomes a teacher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiso is a bad cook and vessels can pout, I rest my case

Quirrel supposed he should have expected this, but becoming the go-to teacher of the town hadn't even crossed his mind when he agreed to move in. To be fair, he wasn’t thinking about much else other than "I've lost all purpose in life, what now?"

Maybe this was the answer? 

Anyway, today he was sitting on Tiso's couch, reading a trashy romance novel because they’re hilarious, when he heard a knock at the door. Outside stood Hollow, Hornet, and Ghost (or what he'd been calling the group in his head: the pale sibling brigade) holding some paper, quills, and ink. Quirrel tilted his head at the three. Hornet spoke.

"Do you know sign language?" ...did he? He couldn't quite remember when or why he learned it, but he found that he knew most of the signs by heart. Ah, well. As is the life of an amnesiac. 

"I believe I do, are you all trying to learn?"

"Yes, I wanted Hollow and Ghost to have a way of communication that wasn't writing in the dirt, and I thought maybe I could translate for them. Would you teach us?" That was so sweet, how could he ever decline? 

"Of course, anything for you three." Hollow seemed to perk up and Ghost actually started jumping up and down. He led them inside as Hornet thanked him. Hollow was almost too tall for the house, but when they sat down they were okay. It was a point of pride for Quirrel, that they would go to him first. 

They started with some necessities: yes, no, not, know, me, you, talk, want, need, help, stop, go, more, happy, sad, the question words, and enough letters to spell all of their names. Quirrel had to improvise some one-handed signs for Hollow, but other than that, they were all incredible students. Hollow and Ghost immediately demanded to know the signs for please and thank you, which were then added to the pile of knowledge. Ghost kept signing “thank you” to him over and over, which he thought was very sweet. Quirrel scooped them up in a hug, patting them between their horns. When he sat them down, he noticed Hollow glancing at him intently, and he was unsure what they wanted.

Ghost looked at their sibling for a moment (were they communicating?) before dragging Quirrel by the wrist over to Hollow and placing his hand between their horns. He laughed, realizing what they wanted, and patted their head too. Was that a vessel thing? It was kind of adorable. Hollow seemed happy, and thanked him. When they were satisfied, he backed off to notice Hornet with an amused look on her face. Hollow swatted her arm with a huff and (somehow, considering that their face didn’t move,) started pouting. 

_ “Thank you, Quirrel! Me happy you help, want you help more please.”  _ Ghost seemed pleased with themselves for the sentence. Quirrel smiled warmly.

“Not a problem, frien-”

“Wait!” Hornet interrupted, thinking. “You just said you want Quirrel to help you more?” Ah, right, she’d wanted to help translate. 

_ “Yesyesyesyes!”  _ Ghost signed  _ very  _ enthusiastically.

“Nice!” Hornet smiled, and Hollow finally quit pouting to join the rest of them. It was so nice, watching them act like a normal family. He wished that they  _ were  _ just a normal family, but that wasn’t going to happen from the moment they were born. Quirrel remembered finding Hornet and Hollow in the Queen’s Gardens, when they were younger, and Hornet had sworn him to secrecy under threat of execution. Now, he knew that she had no such power, but when Monomon asked where the princess and the pure vessel went, he had no clue. 

His memories from before he left Hallownest were few and far between, but the ones he did have, he treasured dearly. Not all of them were good, and not all of them were ones he wanted to remember, but they were  _ his,  _ and that meant a lot to someone who had everyone taken away from him. 

But that didn’t matter now. He was given a second chance to live, he’s not throwing that away. A very charming little vessel once taught him that there was beauty in everything, that life is lived for the beauty in the moments where you’re happy. 

Quirrel was pretty sure this was one of those moments. The pale sibling brigade, yes he was actually using that, were quizzing each other on different signs. They were laughing, having fun, and just… being the kids they never got to be. The thought hit him harder than he thought it would, but he pushed it to the back of his mind for now. The front door swung open, breaking that perfect moment in time. 

“I’m home!” Tiso tossed his shield down and looked around the living room. “Oh, guests. At least you are all capable warriors, so I  _ guess  _ you can stay.” Quirrel stifled a laugh, Tiso couldn’t make them leave if he tried. “I’m going to sleep, it’s been a long day of fighting monsters and… er… being a warrior!” 

Quirrel didn’t actually know what Tiso did during the day. At first he’d assumed he was off at the Colosseum of Fools, but after one sparring match he was sure that wasn’t the case. If Tiso was going to the Colosseum, he wouldn’t make it back. Unlike Ghost, he  _ didn’t  _ come back after he was killed. Tiso shut the door to his room, and the siblings all started giggling. Well, Hornet was giggling, the vessels were just shaking, but he knew laughter. 

“Thank you very much for teaching us, Quirrel, but we should be going. I wouldn’t want to impose,” Hornet stood, helping Hollow up. 

“Oh, you aren’t imposing at all! But if you need to leave, I understand.” Quirrel stood himself, opening the door for them. Ghost was still sitting.

_ “Why go? Why not-”  _ They didn’t seem to know the sign for “here”, so they just spelled it. Hornet sighed.

“Ghost, we need to make dinner. And you’re setting the table tonight. You only got out of washing the dishes yesterday because you disappeared.” Oh, so  _ that’s  _ what they were doing here yesterday evening. That little gremlin.

_ “Me no want go, know need go.”  _ Ghost finally stood, giving Quirrel a big hug before hopping out of the door with their siblings. After saying his goodbyes, Quirrel sat back on the couch with his trashy romance novel and relaxed.

A few seconds later, Tiso peeked out of his room. 

“Are they gone?” After an affirmative, he sighed with relief and flopped onto a chair in the room. “Each of them individually are terrifying, but together? It scared the shit out of me when I walked in and saw all of them here.”

“They really aren’t that scary. Intimidating, yes, but they’re not going to hurt you.”

“Tell that to the red one!”

“Hornet.”

“Hornet! She almost cut my head clean off when I came here. And did you  _ see  _ the tall one’s-”

“Hollow.”

“-Hollow’s nail yesterday? It was taller than me! And don’t even  _ try  _ to suggest that I shouldn’t be afraid of Ghost.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one.” Quirrel had seen them in combat a few times from afar and one time up close. That was enough to make him  _ extremely  _ grateful that they were on the same side. One time, they’d asked to spar with him. He agreed, but was  _ totally  _ decimated. And they didn’t even use spells.  _ Those  _ were insane. 

“See! Terrifying.”

“But they aren’t going to hurt  _ you.  _ They’ll only attack threats,”

“I can be a threat!” 

“Sure. Mhm. Right. Say that when you can last more than thirty seconds in a sparring match.”

“I resent that!” Quirrel laughed as Tiso stood up. “ _ Anyway,  _ Quirrel, what do you want to eat? I found some fruit while I was out.” 

“That sounds delicious, thank you. Now, get out of the kitchen before you start another fire.” Tiso threw his hands up and went to sulk in the living room. Quirrel was excited to have fresh ingredients. He may even be generous enough to make something for Tiso. 

Today’s been a good day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the pale sibling brigade is the best thing I've come up with.


	4. Hornet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hornet goes about her day

It had been about a week since Hornet got both of her siblings back. They’d gotten into a routine for the daytime. Hornet would wake up first and eat some breakfast, Ghost would wake up to sit with her as she ate, then Hollow followed soon after- usually wrapped up in some blanket. After they were ready for the day, Ghost promptly said goodbye and dashed out of the door. She couldn’t guess what they did all day, but they weren’t ever back until dinnertime. Visiting the friends they had spread all around Hallownest was the most likely explanation. The only time she knew for sure where they were was when they were learning new signs from Quirrel.

Usually, Hornet would either help Hollow with building up their strength and balance. Sometimes they felt well enough to spar with her, but she could tell that they were nowhere near what they used to be. Other times she would wander the perimeter of the kingdom, like she used to do. There were a couple of injured bugs that she found who were from the City of Tears, trying to escape Hallownest. She had no clue  _ why  _ they were fleeing, but they seemed scared. Maybe she should check down in the City, or maybe these were just bugs driven mad by the infection. 

Hollow seemed to hang around Dirtmouth for the most part, and Hornet was delighted to say that they seemed to be friends with the mapmakers, Cornifer and Iselda. Those two always made her feel safe and loved, so she thinks they’ll be good for her sibling. 

Occasionally, she would practice sewing and weaving. Hornet could recall the time that Weavers still populated Deepnest and produced blankets and clothes of the finest silk. 

One of them, she thinks their name was Weft, was teaching her how to produce fabric of her own. After a few weeks of trying, though, Hornet just couldn’t get the hang of the movements she needed to do to make good silk. So Weft had taught her how to sew instead. In the time after her mother was taken and before she was sent to be trained by Vespa, Weft and Midwife taught her how to sew, knit, and she even managed to make a bit of cloth from a spool of her own silk. 

That bit of cloth had been her pride and joy for  _ weeks. _

Sometimes, Hollow joined her in sewing. They had taken up an interest in making little dolls, and it was adorable. One day, a few days ago, they shook her awake in the middle of the night to show her their first successful doll. Hornet was initially irritated, but eventually fell into her sibling’s excitement. It was a fairly well made doll that looked something like a menderbug, and it felt like it was stuffed with sand. Now, it sat on the dresser she’d moved into their room.

That was another thing, Hollow and Ghost had been furnishing their room over the week. Ghost had gone scavenging in the City of Tears and had managed,  _ somehow,  _ to bring back a dresser, shelf, and a bedframe. Hornet bet it was another Vessel Thing™, but Quirrel had guessed it was because of the Dreamgate. There might or might not be 200 geo on the line. The dresser mostly held a couple of extra cloaks and knick knacks that weren’t very important. Ghost kept most of their things inside themself, and Hollow didn’t have much to store in the first place. 

The shelf was home to Hollow’s sewing supplies and Ghost’s extra charms. The bedframe didn’t get a mattress, but it was a convenient way to contain the nest that was previously taking up the entire floor. Hornet was pleased to say that the room looked very neat. She was glad that Hollow was adjusting well. They still slept quite a lot, but she didn’t know how much of that was just the body’s natural healing process or if something was wrong. Ghost didn’t seem concerned, so she let it go for now.

Today, Hornet woke up fairly early. She’d gone to bed right after dinner, and had a very restful sleep. She could already tell that it was going to be a productive day. It was still dark out, though. Maybe a walk would take enough time that she could be back home when it was light. So, Hornet fastened her cloak and moved to grab her needle. But a thought stopped her.

Did she actually need it? The infection was gone, and she wasn't planning on walking very far…

She decided to take it. Better safe than sorry. 

Dirtmouth was surprisingly pretty in the dark. The streetlamps glowed with the buzz of lumaflies and a fog coated the ground. Now, where to go? Maybe a trek through King's Pass? Or if she felt like it, she could probably make it to the Howling Cliffs and back before first light. With that settled, she threw her needle and zipped after it. With graceful steps around crawlids and vengeflies, Hornet found herself at the edge of the Howling Cliffs. It was always nice, from this distance. The wind danced upon her face and sung in her ears. At this point, throwing her needle would be largely ineffective, so she just continued walking. 

Or, she would have, if she hadn't heard some kind of horrible screeching noise coming from farther ahead. One that stood out from the wind and chilled her through her shell. She didn't know what this thing was, but it wasn’t getting any closer to her home. 

As Hornet passed under Stagnest, the creature came into view. It was huge and fuzzy on the edges. It made another sound, this one was some kind of howling- it sounded more shaped, somehow. Hornet reached the edge of the cliff and finally got a good look at the thing. Well, "good look" is relative at this point, but now she can see several sets of arms, tendrils, and horns that were pitch black. She let out a battle cry and jumped at it-

-Only to fall through it and get caught by a large hand. The thing brought her up to its face and she found herself staring into eight glowing eyes that nearly blinded her. She readied her needle again, but the thing held her away from it, it's hand seeming to solidify into a platform under her feet. Another set of hands shifted higher, and started moving. Was it… signing?

_ "Stopstopstop! You know me, I Ghost, you Hornet, we need talk."  _ Hornet blinked. This was…

"Ghost? Why are you- like this? What was that sound earlier? Are you alright?"

_ "I happy, I want you stop sad, more stop here, not know sign, please me help you down. Yes?" _

"Okay, go ahead." The dark platform lowered until it hit the ground, letting her jump off. The thing- Ghost, started to implode into themself until they were their usual size. Their shell reformed and their cloak sprouted out from their neck. It looked like they'd never changed in the first place. They produced a quill, ink, and paper from inside their cloak and sat down, patting a spot next to them. Hornet sat.

"So, what was that?"

_ I was practicing controlling my void to change my body, but when I dropped my shell I lost control and reverted to my default state. _

" _ That  _ was your default state? How? When?"

_ When I defeated the Absolute Radiance, I united the Void and basically became the Void, I remember seeing a tablet that talked about an ancient culture, before the moths even, that worshipped the Void, before it fell apart, and they called it the Shade Lord. I guess that’s me now. _

"That is a lot to unpack. You-  _ you're  _ the Shade Lord, God of Gods, because of course you are, I can deal with that. You defeated the Radiance- I knew you had to have somehow, but how?"

_ That's a long story, but basically I found a Godseeker and she tested me against all of the strongest enemies in Hallownest, or just my most difficult battles. You were there twice. Anyway, I defeated everything again and again and eventually I made it to the top of everything, and the Godseeker summoned the Radiance, and when I fought her, it was like… instead of breaking off branches I was cutting down the tree. When I beat her, the Void consumed me and I took control.  _

Hornet shook her head incredulously, then started laughing. Ghost tilted their head at her.

"Sorry, sorry, but that just seems like such a  _ you  _ thing to do. Of course you couldn't just kill the Radiance by going through Hollow, you had to fight your way to the  _ root  _ of the problem. And of  _ course  _ becoming the God of Void was just something that happened along the way. That sounds  _ exactly  _ like something you would do. No wonder I was waiting at the Egg for a week." Ghost frantically started signing.

_ "Me no want you stop, sorry I stop you, I not know you stop, thank you for stop for me, sorry." _

"It was for the best, this way I was there when Hollow got out." Ghost nodded and stood, brushing themself off. It was finally starting to get lighter- Hornet must have woken up earlier than she thought. 

When the two got back to the house, they were greeted by a distressed Hollow who immediately started signing. 

_ "I not know you go, why you go when me not know? Please no." _

"Sorry Hollow. I thought I'd be back earlier, you were still asleep." Her siblings were doing that thing where they just… look at each other. Apparently, this was a way of communication. Hornet decided not to worry about it. Ghost handed Hollow the papers they'd written to her on. She was sure it made sense to them. 

Suddenly, Hollow rolled up the papers and bonked Ghost on the head. Well, that was pretty clear, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Ghost time >:3


	5. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghost thinks about their friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got really excited so I'm posting this early (:

Ghost was very happy to be living in Dirtmouth with everyone. They loved waking up, going outside, and seeing Elderbug chatting with Bretta in the square, Quirrel sitting on the bench reading his novel, Tiso training with the dummy outside of his house, and knowing that everyone here is safe and sound. That was such a good feeling. But still, there were folks that couldn't stay in Dirtmouth, so they often made the rounds to go check on them. 

Cloth was hanging around the Queen’s Gardens, helping any mantises or mosskin that managed to live through the infection. Lemm was still being the grouchy hoarder that he always was. Jiji was still indulging in her… questionable food choices. They remember going to visit Oro, and being surprised to find Mato there too. Sheo and the Nailsmith have been making some beautiful art over in Greenpath, as well. They've been… reluctant to visit the Seer. After all, they did kind of kill her god. 

But the thing they had to be happiest about was that they had a _family_ now. Hornet was a little prickly, but she'd always been. They were surprised when she took the whole "I'm a god now, and possibly the most powerful one," thing in stride. And Hollow… Hollow was just so sweet. Whenever they were all sitting together, Hollow always managed to round everyone up into the cuddle pile of the century. Ghost loved their siblings. 

Today, they'd just finished learning more signs with Quirrel. They figured that if they were going to be explaining the whole god situation to anyone, they should know how to talk about it. Besides, Quirrel was the best teacher they knew, maybe tied with Mato. They enjoyed learning, Quirrel seemed to enjoy teaching, and they both enjoyed each other's company, so this was a good setup. Though, today, they had to cut the lesson off after lunch because Ghost felt oddly… tired. To be fair, they hadn't been resting much, because all of their free time was spent either with friends or making sure the few survivors were alright. Indirectly. As much as it pains them to admit it, it's better for them to not interact with the survivors that didn't know them. 

You see, it turns out that when a bug is infected while they're still alive, they're semi-conscious. They can't control their body and can barely control their thoughts, but what they see and hear plants itself directly into their subconscious. How do they know? Well, it became pretty clear once they had gone to the City of Tears and their arrival was met with terrified screams. Apparently, when you see someone murder hundreds of people- especially when you don't know that those people are already dead- you start to develop an aversion towards them.

They could change their form now, which was nice, but they weren’t very good at it yet. They could basically be Big Scary Shade Lord or they could be Small Scary Murderer. Neither of those were particularly conducive to diplomacy. So, Ghost settled for watching from afar. Maybe they should get Hornet to check on them. Or Hollow…? Nah, that was a bad idea. 

Either way, they were tired. They were going to go home and take a nap and no one's going to wake them up. All Ghost wanted was to be free from responsibility for at least an evening. After they beat the Radiance, they thought that _maybe_ they would be able to truly rest for a moment. But they couldn't, not with friends across the map and a healing kingdom to watch. If they weren’t going to watch over things, who would? They didn’t want to shove that on Hornet, she'd already done it for wyrm knows how long. Not Hollow, they've had enough responsibility placed on them to last a lifetime. Not Quirrel, he's still recovering from his whole ordeal. And who else would even be up to it? Cloth? She had Queen’s Gardens to take care of. 

All they'd done was kill. Innocent bugs, the dreamers, a god. They'd done it all with the same nail, no hesitation. It was clear that they had to be the one to help Hallownest heal. 

Ah, they were spiraling.

Ghost shook their head and went to their room. Hollow was, surprisingly, snuggled up in the nest, curled in on themselves. Huh, they were usually awake at lunchtime. Oh well, it's not like Ghost was going to complain about a perfectly good cuddle pile. So, they climbed into the cozy pile of blankets next to their sibling. To the surprise of literally no one, they were asleep within a minute. 

When Ghost woke up, the ground below them was hard. It felt like… stone? They _had_ fallen asleep in their nest, right? As the scenery came into focus, they were struck by a sense of dread. Bright light blinded them as they realized where they were. The… the dream realm? How? Why? Did… did _she_ survive? 

They stood up. No, no, the dream realm existed separately from the Radiance. This didn't mean anything. It was just a dream. And hey, maybe this is just a _regular_ dream and the setting is just part of it. Or maybe this was just a god thing? They weren't sure. 

Then, Ghost heard a sound that they never wanted to hear again. 

It was Hollow, screaming like they did to call them here.

Immediately, Ghost was jumping on platforms, narrowly missing pitfalls, doing everything they could to get to the source of the sound. What happened? 

Hollow was hunched over on a platform, gripping their horns. They were… pulling themself apart. Ghost tackled them, yanking their hands away from their head. Another scream shot through the air as Hollow flailed.

 **_Hollow!_ ** Ghost shook their sibling’s shoulders. **You're okay! Calm down! I'm here!** Hollow seemed to hear them, and their thrashing calmed down.

**Ghost? Why are you here? You need to leave, this place- this place is-**

**You're** **_dreaming,_ ** **Hollow, it's okay. Nothing bad happened. When you wake up, everything will be okay.**

 **…Okay. Okay.** Suddenly, the dream realm darkened around them, letting them wake up in the nest. They both sat up at the same time, and they were both trembling. Well, that wasn’t how they were expecting their afternoon nap to go. Ghost hugged their sibling tight. Hollow had already been through so much. Why was the dream realm appearing now? They felt confusion radiating off of Hollow, so they sat back and looked up at them. 

**Ghost, was that… real? That wasn't… just a dream, was it?**

**I don't think so, are you alright?** Hollow nodded, and Ghost felt most of the tension leave their body. Hollow stood slowly, stepping out of the nest.

**I'm going to Iselda and Cornifer's house for a bit. Maybe Iselda could tell me more stories.**

**Okay, Hollow. I'm going to try to sleep some more.** Hollow waved goodbye. It's always been quiet in Hornet's house, none of them talk that much. That's never really bothered Ghost, but that's because they were never really alone. When they had their family, it was like nothing could go wrong. 

But their family weren't gods. They were. This was  _ clearly  _ a god thing. So, Ghost settled back in their nest, and let the Void envelop their mind, willing themself into the dream realm. 

When they awoke, they had to take a moment to adjust to the sudden abundance of eyes as well as the bright scenery. It was the usual: absurdly bright clouds and sky with floating essence speckling the air. Void seeped from their form, tinting the space darker. It was odd, not having to worry about falling out of the dream. It seemed like they could just float wherever. Honestly, it was pretty neat.

Motes of Void drifted from them as they meandered through the open air, clashing with the twinkling essence. Well, they definitely weren’t here to just admire the scenery, but this whole "god" thing is new to them and they weren’t really sure how to start. Maybe just… see what's up with the other gods? Is that a thing that they could do? Might as well try. They might make a complete fool of themself, but no one was watching anyway. 

Ghost focused their thoughts. To their surprise, they actually felt something. It was almost a pull, like a silent ringing that they could distinguish different shapes from. They felt Unn, lying dormant in Greenpath. They felt the warm glow of the White Lady, locked away in her cocoon. They could even feel the afterglow of the Pale King's rule. If they focused hard enough, they could feel the Nightmare Heart- wherever it is now. 

It wasn’t surprising that they could still feel the impact that the Radiance had on Hallownest, but there was something off. Almost… fresh. New. That was concerning. They hoped that it was just the Seer, poking around in the dream realm, but they knew that that was unlikely. The alternative was that,  _ somehow,  _ the Radiance lived.

Well, that wasn't good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c


	6. Hollow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hollow has some suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Iselda is a very underrated character and I'll be damned if she doesn't get some attention in this fic  
> Also are you going to look me in the eyes and tell me that Hollow is a graceful ninja after centuries of not moving? Clumsy awkward Hollow supremacy.

Hollow didn’t usually have dreams. When they did, it usually wasn't anything more than a suggestion of a thought. Just invisible shapes, floating in the darkness. Those dreams were nice, soothing. They provided the comfort that could only be produced by the Void. Other times, their dreams were… less pleasant. Less comforting void and more rotting, festering sweetness that would make them throw up if they had a stomach. And, rarely, they would get suggestions of memories of the time before they were chained up. 

They remembered some of their life at the White Palace. They remembered playing with Hornet, being taught how to read and write, a few moments with the King… but it wasn’t much. Most of their memories from that time were foggy, clouded by age. It was like those days were hidden by mist, locked away behind bars of light and pain. Honestly, they didn't know if they even wanted to remember more of back then. They got the impression that they didn't feel happy often. 

That made sense, considering they weren't _supposed to_ feel happy. They weren't supposed to feel anything. But they knew that all of the apathy they showed was just a mask, no more real than the masks the bugs wore. If they weren’t empty, they would be thrown away. Gods know that there were plenty of other choices. They remember the many, many corpses of their siblings that fell around them when they were escaping the Abyss. It would've been surprising that they remember it if every time Hollow was about to give up, they didn't see millions of dark eyes staring up at them, begging for release. They weren't sure if they were more scared of being discarded and replaced or of letting all of those deaths be in vain.

They were getting off-topic. 

The point was, they didn't usually dream, and waking up in the dream realm was fairly unusual for anyone, and for Hollow to have a dream that takes place in the dream realm is completely unlikely and utterly inconceivable. 

But it happened. 

And Ghost was there.

When they think about it, they really aren't _surprised_ that Ghost was the one who appeared. It always seemed that they were at the center of everything. At first, Hollow just wrote it off as a dream thing and was content with that answer. Then they woke up, and Ghost looked just as shaken as they were. That was the first clue, but Ghost literally confirmed it when they asked. _Something_ was happening in the dream realm.

Hollow needed a distraction. So, they stopped by Cornifer and Iselda’s place. It had become something of a habit to go to those two when they needed some relaxation time. If Iselda was there, she would regale stories of her colorful past as a warrior in the wastelands. The stories were so different from the life they’d known that it was easy to think of them as just fiction, but Iselda always assured them that the tales weren’t as tall as they seemed. 

It had almost surprised them when they learned that the couple knew sign language and that they didn’t mind teaching. Cornifer said that he was the one to learn it first after he temporarily lost hearing when escaping a very _loud_ bug in his youth. He then taught it to Iselda when they were first dating, as a bonding activity. That got a laugh and a few more stories of Cornifer’s horrible attempts at flirting. 

Today, only Iselda was at their shop, as they’d seen Cornifer heading into the ruins. He’s been developing a friendship with the relic seeker, Lemm. Hollow could barely fit their head through the door, so they usually sat outside. They knocked on the door, and Iselda stepped out. 

“Hollow! Always a pleasure to see you. What brings you here?” She leaned against the doorframe, smiling. She was so nice.

 _“Need no think, please. Story? Maybe advice? I’m confused. Odd dream. Ghost behaving weird.”_ Hollow wasn’t sure what they wanted from the bug, but they figured whatever she did would be a good choice. She had good judgement.

“Oh? The little explorer? Well, I find most things they do odd, but that’s likely just differences in taste. I’ve got no clue why they insisted on buying everything from the shop, I bet they would’ve just given us geo if I’d let them… but that’s not important. You seem distressed, should I get a paper and quill?” They nodded, and started writing as soon as Iselda got back.

_I think something is happening, something involving higher beings like Ghost._

“It’s strange to think of them as such, but they are a higher being, aren’t they? But in any case, why do you seem so concerned about it?” Hollow looked down, feeling guilty. They knew that they should, you know, _trust_ their sibling, but they’ve only known Ghost for about two weeks. Besides, Hollow didn’t have the best relationships with the gods they knew in their lifetime. They liked Ghost, and felt a kinship with them that they’d never felt before. It was like finding another needle in a shop of nails. But… still… ugh, sometimes they wish they _were_ empty so they wouldn’t have to deal with these confusing emotions. 

_I don’t know… I just have a bad feeling._

“Ah, well, those can be hard to ignore. Maybe you should try talking to them? Oh, there they are now.” When they looked back up, Ghost was indeed dashing past the shop, jumping down the well. “...And there they go.”

 _“I go talk Ghost. You know later.”_ Hollow stood, brushing themself off and adjusting their cloak. Iselda gathered the paper they’d been writing on.

“You be careful out there, wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” They nodded resolutely, gripping their nail, and sliding down the well after their sibling.

The Forgotten Crossroads are both big and small at the same time. There were a few rooms they came across while tailing Ghost that they could stand completely straight in and not reach the ceiling. Though those were contrasted by the small rooms that they almost had to crawl through. They were significantly slower than their sibling, but Hornet wasn’t lying when she had told them that Ghost travelled loud. The flapping of wings, the rush of air after a dash, and the clink of a fully charged crystal heart were all echoing throughout the Crossroads over and over again. Eventually, Ghost had reached the old tram station. They pulled out a tram pass and stepped into the car. So, they were going to the Resting Grounds. How the heck were they supposed to discreetly ride the tram? Was there another way around? 

After some thought, Hollow decided to just follow the tram through its tunnel as quietly as possible. Though, they had slightly underestimated how fast the tram was, and ended up trying to quietly run after it. If they had lungs, they would be incredibly out of breath. Ghost hopped out of the tram at the Resting Grounds, and Hollow slunk after them. Either Ghost was completely oblivious to their surroundings or they were leading Hollow somewhere because with the missing arm and clumsy legs, they weren’t very sneaky. They decided that the latter was more likely, but they were going to believe the former for now. From what they’ve heard of them, Ghost is a complete wild card when it comes to whether or not they were aware of their surroundings. Maybe, with some luck, Hollow hadn’t been spotted. Somehow.

To their credit, if Ghost had noticed them, they hadn’t shown it.

So that’s how Hollow ended up near the Resting Grounds stag station, peeking around the corner into what seemed like someone’s home. It was purple, draped with silks and filled with pillows. Sitting across from Ghost was… a moth. There weren’t many moths in their memories, and the one that did stick in their mind hadn’t exactly been… _pleasant._ The moth sitting in the room was old, her eyes clouded with age and her posture hunched like she had the whole world on her shoulders. Ghost was signing at her, but Hollow couldn’t see what they were saying. The moth responded. 

"Ah, I see. It makes sense that you would have that problem, awakening gods tend to have that effect on people. You could say that they did have a stronger connection than most bugs," A pause. What does that mean? Hollow’s bad feeling was turning worse. "Oh, I… don't know if I can help you with that… how did you know she was…? Ah, you never cease to amaze. Fine." The moth called deeper into the room, and suddenly it felt like all of their void wanted to get as far away as possible from this spot. 

Now standing in the open, though significantly weakened, was someone they thought dead.

The Radiance stood in the hut, casting a dim golden glow on the purple room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh ohhhh,,,


	7. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghost contemplates some decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Radiance time >:3

Ghost had to try  _ very  _ hard in order to not destroy half of the Resting Grounds by becoming a large shade creature. The Void reacted violently to the Radiance’s light, rippling under their shell. It very nearly tore free, but Ghost, by some miracle, managed to keep themself contained. The Seer… had tried to hide the Radiance. They supposed that it made sense, she was her god. 

Speaking of, the Radiance stood with her wings folded around her like a cloak or robe, glaring at Ghost. Were it not for the dim glow she emitted and the paramount urge to  _ get away  _ or  _ destroy _ , they would have thought her just another moth. It was crazy to think that this was the being who caused so much suffering, so much pain. This moth had hurt everyone who was important to them. Yet, they didn't feel mad; they didn't feel anything. It was so incomprehensible, the atrocities that were committed to keep this being at bay. The memory of climbing down into the Abyss and suddenly landing on the corpses of their siblings flashed in their mind. This was a similar feeling. They think the right word would be "shock", but that feels too tame, too mundane. The three bugs just stood in the room for a moment, silent. It seemed like if they were to move, their form would collapse.

Suddenly, there was a clatter. Everyone looked at the entrance to the room to see Hollow with their nail drawn, the blade scraping the ground. 

Now, Ghost wasn't completely oblivious all the time. They knew that Hollow was following them, but if anyone deserved to know that the Radiance was alive, it was them. They had been chained up and forced to be burned from the inside out, they deserved some kind of closure. The thing is, Hollow didn’t even look angry. They just looked scared. The Radiance’s eyes widened when she noticed them, and flashed with something that looked like guilt. Well, she definitely had plenty to be guilty over. It's not like  _ everything  _ was her fault, a lot of the blame could be pushed onto The Pale King, but she… she was definitely responsible for a lot of it.

But that wasn’t the current predicament. The current predicament had more to do with deciding if Hollow should be allowed to murder the Radiance here and now. Their first instinct was  _ yes, absolutely,  _ but they suspected that was partially due to the Void that was still bubbling under their shell. When they actually  _ thought  _ about it, the answer was more complicated. Ghost still  _ wanted  _ to say  _ yes, absolutely,  _ but that was a very impulsive thought. If Hollow acted on whatever caused them to draw their nail, would it truly help anyone? Would they get the closure they need? Would the Radiance be repenting for her crimes? No. So, that was the answer they settled with. Though, when it came time to dispose of the Radiance, Hollow had first dibs.

Ghost stepped up to their sibling and held their hand between their own.

**Not now, Hollow.** They snapped their gaze down, as if they just realized that they were there. 

**Why? She- She's right there- why can't I just- why don't you- get** **_rid_ ** **of her.**

**If she dies right now, she wouldn't be paying for her decisions. Besides, I don't think she could hurt anyone right now if she** **_tried._ **

**...Fine. Just know that, if she ever tries anything, she'll be falling to my nail.** Hollow stood up straight, now using their nail mostly for support. Ghost turned to the Radiance. 

"Well?" Both of the vessels flinched when she spoke. The weakened god's voice seemed like a shout that shattered the silence when it was likely little more than a whisper. "What are you going to do, o God of Gods? Destroy me once and for all, now that I've lost my divinity? Throw me into the Void and let my light go out?" Ghost shook their head, almost impressed that she even went there. 

_ "You make more sad?" _

"What, couldn't you talk before?" Ghost didn't have the signs to say that they didn't have vocal chords in this form, so answer their question, dammit, so they made do.

_ "I sign. You no tell me, you make more sad?"  _

" _No,_ I wasn't planning on hurting anyone else. I… didn’t want to in the first place, but the Wyrm bastard-" Hollow scraped their nail on the ground. The Pale King _was_ still their father, but Ghost was inclined to agree with the Radiance’s sentiment. "-The King forced my hand. I was about to die, he was repressing my influence. At least the Shade Lord here," Ghost signed their name. "Ghost? Ghost, was merciful enough to let me live in mortality. The King would have made me fade out completely."

**He should have.** A voice rang in their head and they swirled around to face their sibling, who looked irritated. 

**Hollow!**

**What? I'm right, it's not like her being around has brought anything** **_good._ ** ...Well, if Ghost thought about it, they supposed that wasn't  _ entirely  _ true. 

**If she was never here, none of us would be here. Not you, me, or Hornet. That's one good thing, at least.** Hollow looked like they wanted to say something else, but looked away. While their frustration was completely understandable, this situation needed a bit more rational thought. Ghost turned back around. 

_ "Need you make happy, no more make sad, me not like you, me not want you here. You not want go, yes?" _

"Are you… asking if I want to live? Of course I do. I would love to stop hurting people, to help people be happy. I know that you don't like me, and I know that bad things have happened because of me. While I was trapped inside- um-" She stumbled over her words, breaking the regal air she'd been carrying. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name, if you- well, if you have one." Hollow stood up straighter, now at their full height. They were gripping their nail with their only hand, and it didn't seem like they were letting it go anytime soon. Ghost tilted their head in a silent question, and their sibling gave a stilted nod. Ghost signed the name. 

"Hollow…? I… I am sorry. I didn't know that- that you- well… that would be a lie, wouldn’t it? I know your mind, I know that you weren't ever truly empty, but I fought you because it was my only choice; it was all I could do. I- your arm… I am honestly sorry. You didn't deserve this cruel existence, born just to rot." The Radiance was starting to make a surprising amount of sense for someone who caused all of this. "Ghost, I assume you were of the same make as Hollow before you united the Void?" They nodded, wondering if that means they  _ aren't  _ of the same make anymore. "How many more of you are there?" Well, "millions" wasn't in their sign language vocabulary yet. 

_ "Lot." _

"Thousands?"

_ "More. Lot more." _

"Oh no, I… I really am sorry. I lost control of myself to my instincts, and…" She sighed. "I'm sure that none of this sounds sincere, and I won't gain your trust anytime soon, it is likely I never will. I just ask to be allowed to live; I won't interfere with whatever you're doing. I won't even leave the Resting Grounds, just… please. I don’t want to die again." 

Ghost nodded. Both moths gave an immense sigh of relief, Seer slumped over more. They supposed that they were the leading authority on most things Hallownest by default, now, since they had the King's Brand. It would be their job to keep tabs on any potential threats, and decide whether they are allowed to stay. Perhaps… perhaps the Radiance could help with running the kingdom, since she had more experience. 

Hollow huffed from behind them.  **Can we be done here? I want to go home. I don't want to see** **_her_ ** **anymore.**

**Yeah, we should go.** Ghost took a long look at the Radiance and signed,  _ "We go, you stop make sad, we stop talk you now. Seer, thank you."  _

"You're welcome, Wielder. I am very grateful for your mercy." Seer bowed her head. Ghost waved and hopped down from the platform, Hollow close behind. 

The stag stations were always a relief to see when they were still exploring, and that hasn't necessarily changed now that the journey was over. The ring of the bell was the signal that a friend was coming, that home was close. The Old Stag thundered up to the platform, and Ghost tried to push the interaction they just had to the side of their thoughts. It occurred to them that the Old Stag didn't know that Hollow was alive and free; the thought was confirmed when he started sputtering in surprise and gave a small bow.

"Greetings, I wasn't aware that you… were alive, I suppose." Hollow stiffened, looking away. Ghost guessed it was because they weren't used to being addressed with formality. 

_ "Not lot know Hollow, we happy Hollow here." _

"Ah! The little adventurer has learned to sign! Lucky for you, it was required for stags to learn Hallownest Sign, for deaf or mute passengers. Now, you said that their name is Hollow? Do you have one?"

_ "Yesyes! Ghost!" _

"Aha! How appropriate. My name is Cervus, it is very nice to meet you at last. Where to, Ghost?" They tapped the Dirtmouth station on the map and hopped on, Hollow sitting somewhat awkwardly behind them. With that, Cervus dashed away. 

Back in Dirtmouth, Hollow managed to give a wave to Iselda before slinking off to Hornet's house. Ghost understood, it had definitely been a draining day. It was nearly dark. 

Something that they had to think about was what to do with the remaining kingdom. They knew that there were at least one hundred survivors in the City of Tears, and more scattered around the map. They needed to check on the Mantis Village… later. Stay on track. How were they going to rule a kingdom when the citizens were scared of them? Maybe they could practice changing their form, try to look just different enough; maybe they could try to look more like Hollow. 

But that would take time to get good at. Ghost wanted to organize the remaining bugs soon. Despite it's humble appearance, Dirtmouth used to be a hub of trade. Maybe it could become the new main city? They wouldn't want to ask the survivors to leave their homes, though… if they even have any. There were too many variables to make a solid plan. Maybe Hornet could do recon? That sounded like a good idea in theory; the public would be much more likely to listen to her. 

Where even  _ was  _ Hornet? Patrolling? Ghost huffed. If she was going around the perimeter and started in the morning, they had about an hour until she returned. 

Ghost decided to go check in with Quirrel. They needed his presence, if for no other reason than to relax. He was usually a calming person, and they needed to not think. It had been a busy day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hollow doesn't know how to feel, but they've decided that that's a problem for when they aren't tired 
> 
> Next up: Hornet


End file.
